Retiring Early? You Should Probably Wait for a Health Reform Verdict (beach, betray)
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so far the insurers have been very wrong about that assumption about low usage . that is why they couldn't get the pricing under control . many got out of the business or had to increase rates big time .
they thought it would be used a whole lot less . what they found is that if folks have the insurance they tend to use it rather than count on family members . in home care and assisted living use was very very high compared to estimates .
the numbers were also based on a generation ago since today's boomers are not the age yet where it is common .
we bought our nys partnership plan not even for the 3 years snf coverage or 6 years in home assisted living coverage . we bought it for the perks after the insurance runs out .
Well, a bit on and a bit off topic. We are on Medicare and I went to a specialist this week with my husband whose back has been in pain. This guy started talking about how everything that other doctors do don't help you diagnose the problem, including x-rays, examinations, and MRI. He described how his patients can't (aren't smart enough to) absorb his full regime so he takes it step by step. First step, go into an ambulatory surgical facility and under local give an injection and wait-see if it helps. OK, I could see that.
So I told him I would like a view of his overall approach, not just step one. He explained again that I wouldn't understand it. So, I changed the subject and asked if his procedure was one of the Medicare approved procedures for use of ambulatory surgical facility (he is part owner of the facility). He said my insurance wasn't his problem. I told him it was my problem and I needed to know if the insurance covered before signing off on what might turn out to be a blank check if I was not given a price upfront. Again he rebuffed the question with arrogance that betrayed his possible incompetence. (He could have just told me he would set me up to meet with his billing experts instead of insulting my intelligence.)
So much for shopping around. So much for medical transparency on just what was the treatment and its cost.
At that point he stormed out of the examination (in the middle?) in quite a huff. It made no sense to either me or my husband. It had just been a "shop around for your healthcare" kind of question.
2. Earlier in the thread someone said the money is NOT going to big business. I call BS on that.
Here's a chart of the stock prices of the 8 largest health companies. It also has, for comparison, the price of VTI, the total US stock market. Some of the health stocks have done better than VTI; some have done worse. It doesn't appear to be earth shattering.
All I see in this whole system is control, controlling people and our access health care.
So many variables, too many making money off of others backs..
All I see in this whole system is control, controlling people and our access health care.
So many variables, too many making money off of others backs..
So many making investments and providing capital for pharmacies to develop cures and health services to build hire and provide. All because they want to make money.
A word about our experience with LTC. The folks-in-law paid $200 a month for 10 years. When it came time for care - there was a waiting period. My FIL died 7 months after admittance to assisted living. Still in the waiting period. My MIL used the coverage for two years and then the coverage ended.
Certainly with their costs > $4000 a month - it was worth it. However, my MIL continues in assisted living/nursing care now 3 years past my FILs death - and its on her dime.
Thankfully, she has the resources to cover her care.
LTC insurance banks on people dying shortly after their need is diagnosed.
We're not going that route.
The elimination period and coverage period are clear up front and vary with what you are willing to pay. The better the coverage etc. Folks are advised to realize they will need to have the cash up front if they want in before the elimination period. Hopefully the spouse knew the terms of their policy, they hopefully did.
I didn't play God, but HC didn't help a lot of people either. That's the situation right now that's why people elected Trump to do over.
Trump is not "doing over" ACA--he's too busy tweeting lies about a former president when he's not golfing at MarALago at taxpayer's expense. The do-over is Ryan Care and it won't pass the Senate for a host of good reasons. If you are young and healthy, the plan is for you--everyone else will get "access" to expensive health care they cannot afford.
At that point he stormed out of the examination (in the middle?) in quite a huff. It made no sense to either me or my husband. It had just been a "shop around for your healthcare" kind of question.
What you described here sounds like it could be in violation of medical ethical standards which are enforced by the state medical board. You should notify the state medical board about this doctor. His behavior is pretty outrageous.
Here is my solution, based on a pure free market. Get government out of the subsidy market entirely. If you want insurance, buy it, with zero subsidies. If you don't, don't. No more medicaid, no more medicare, no social security, no welfare, no unemployment, no social programs whatsoever. THAT is a true free market society.
Change the law that requires hospitals to provide care regardless of ability to pay, you can't pay on the spot or don't have insurance, sorry about that, die on the floor for all we care.
You have insurance, never filed a claim, but guess what, your insurance just cancelled you because you were going to cost them money. Because that impacts the bottom line.
Think drug companies and medical providers charge a lot now, wait until it's a purely free market. Only the very rich will be able to afford any sort of care, but again, who cares.
If this is the kind of society that America wants, that is sad, but that is the impression that I get from a great many posters on this board. And from the 60+ million people that voted for this administration. Ann Rand indeed.
I'd have died in my twenties if this was how it was. I wonder how many others? And no, I did not vote for the hideous orange thing.
I think a great many of those who were swept up in the orange things rahrah chant never bothered to listen to any of the content, why dictators can amass power if people are stupid enough to turn off their minds.
One can hope he will be a good example of why he and his should be sent back to their golf courses and fantasy worlds and despised.
Sadly many of those that don't want to pay for health insurance are first in line in showing up to emergency care to be treated and don't pay. They forget that the bill is being paid by everyone in the community.
Health Care should be available and affordable to all, but sadly there are too many hands that currently make big money out of it and will fight tooth and nail to be removed.
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